Dark War: Termination
Part 1 Meanwhile, taking advantage of the fact all had been either already killed or engaged in combat, Captain Tarō Kinzoku rushed to the top of the spire undisturbed. After several long minutes of running upstairs, he eventually arrived at the peak of the immense tower. He entered some sort of a foyer. At the opposite end of the room, basked in the shadows, loomed the massive doors to the throne room. The Captain felt the chilling waves of cold Reiatsu emitting from there, immersing them with a deathly cold. Moreover, he sensed two other sources of spiritual power nearby. "Hey, look, we have a stray guest in here", said a deep voice. "Poor thing! I think we oughta show him the exit, dont'cha think?", replied a high-pitched one. Suddenly, two large silhouettes emerged from the jet black darkness. They were both , inhumanly tall and muscular. "Something's wrong, lil' Shinigami?", asked the Hollow with screeching voice. "You look so sad..." "Let us show him how to escape from this terrible place", declared the othe one. Afterward, the Adjuchas raised his hand and began charging a . Kinzoku glanced at him with a frown on his face. Then, the beam burst forth, illuminating the immediate surroundings. Tarō swung swiftly with his hand, deflecting the attack to the side. Soon, an explosion nearby followed, shaking the room briefly. "What the...?" All of a sudden, the Hollow with high-pitched voice plunged at the Captain, his fist raised to strike. However, Kinzoku rapidly drew his Zanpakutō and slashed the giant fist, bifurcating it in an instant. "Shit!", exclaimed the wounded Adjuchas, grasping his profusely bleeding hand with the other one. "Damn you!", bellowed the second Hollow. Just as he started charging another Cero, Captain Kinzoku pounced at him with surprising speed. Subsequently, the Shinigami passed by him in the blink of an eye and landed softly several metres away. The Cero dispersed. The Adjuchas turned slowly around, looking at the Captain with disbelief. "Wha...", he had groaned before his body disintegrated, shredded to pieces in an instant with . "You fuckin' prick, I'll kill ya fer dat!", cried the remaining Hollow, infuriated. He swung his hand at the Shinigami. Nevertheless, Tarō had been faster; he halted right opposite to the Adjuchas and observed silently as the enemy's body began splitting in halves vertically. Subsequently, Kinzoku turned around unhurriedly and proceeded toward the massive gate to the throne room. Whilst approaching them, he raised his fist to strike them open; however, they had begun opening on their own before he could do so. Unperturbed, the Captain calmly entered the throne room. Once inside, he immediately sensed a spike in the intensity of the enemy's Reiatsu. Omnipresent but diluted elsewhere, there it felt extremely dense, as if he had to wade through a sea of spiritual energy. The entire place was shrouded with thick shadows, but the opposite end of the room was virtually drowned in opaque blackness. Then, he heard a motion. "Only one? I'm disappointed", declared a deep feminine voice. "Are you Tinieblas?", asked Tarō bluntly. Eventually, a single silhouette emerged from the bottomless darknes. It was an astonishingly tall and muscular, well-endowed woman draped in a tattered robe. Long, wild light purple hair framed her face, and her eyes shone brightly against the blackness behind her; one of them yellow and snake-like, the other lilac with a spiral-shaped iris. Kinzoku was mildly surprised. Except for some unusual features, the woman looked very much human. The only definite indication as to her nature as a Hollow was the peculiar mask, or rather three conjoined masks, sitting on the top of her head. "I am Tinieblas", she replied. "The leader of Legión de la Oscuridad, a great army of Hollows which you have just destroyed." Her voice seemed composed on the surface, yet it had some unsettingly threatening undertones. "All in a day's work", responded Tarō. "Cleave." Suddenly, his Zanpakutō split into two identical nodachi. The Captain assumed a fighting stance and promptly rushed at his opponent. Then, he slashed swiftly with both of his swords, striking her simultaneously from different directions. Tinieblas raised her hands; they had emerged from the spreading robe and blocked the blades effortlessly in an instant. Kinzoku widened his eyes slightly. He pressed hard with his Zanpakutō, but the woman did not even flinch. "You're all the same", she seethed, lowering her head so that she looked Tarō directly in the eyes. "Hunters. Poachers. Murderers." Tarō quickly withdrew his blades and attacked again. He slashed with tremendous speed and force, striking his enemy multiple times within a matter of seconds. Nevertheless, Tinieblas defended easily from the onslaught. Then, she leapt forward and caught both his blades in her hands. Kinzoku attempted to pull them out sharply, but to no avail. "You come and kill whenever we feast. Stalkers. Persecutors", continued Tinieblas. "Hijiken", whispered Tarō. All of a sudden, two additional blades burst forth from his elbows. Surprised, the Hollow slightly lightened her grip, allowing the Captain to pluck his Zanpakutō out. Subsequently, he resumed his relentless assault, slashing fiercely with four blades. Still, no matter how hard did he press her, Tinieblas managed to withstand the onslaught without a single scratch. "The time's come to repay you for the centuries, no, millennia of bloodshed", she seethed as she was blocking his incessant attacks. Kinzoku unexpectedly used to retreat a few metres, and then impaled the floor with his swords. "Hataken." Afterward, a number of blades erupted suddenly from below Tinieblas, shredding her robe. Much to the Captain's shock, though, the woman herself appeared completely unharmed. "Your supremacy ends now!", she screamed with frightening fervour. "Even though my army has perished, I am Tinieblas, an , a being who surpasses all Shinigami!" Subsequently, she swung her hands, effortlessly breaking the blades surrounding her. "Even though I am alone, I shall murder every single Shinigami to commemorate the deaths of my countless brethren! Even now, I hear their screams, encouragements, pleadings and demands!" She walked several steps and raised her hand. Suddenly, streams of darkness from behind her flowed quickly into her hand, forming an ebony black nodachi in the blink of an eye. "I'll make you squeal like a pig", she growled, her eyes glowing like miniature stars. Relatively unfazed by her morbidness, Captain Kinzoku straightened up and swung his Zanpakutō. Afterward, he was enveloped by a light blue outline of light, and waves of spiritual energy began emanating from his body. "Bankai", he declared. The twin blades of his Zanpakutō shone brightly. Then, they proceeded to widen into broad, triangular broadswords fused with his hands, and expand a coat of metal over his entire arms. The auxiliary blades protruding from the elbows became thicker, and two large, shield-like plates of armour materialised on his shoulders. "Hitori Guntai Sen-baiken", he stated sternly. Tinieblas had been observing him with visible surprise, but then grinned suddenly. "Good, at least try to make it enjoyable", she said tauntingly. Afterward, she pointed a finger at the Captain. All of a sudden, a jet black blast burst forth and dashed toward Kinzoku. However, he merely swung with one of his giant blades, effortlessly dispersing the attack. Tinieblas frowned. Subsequently, she launched a barrage of energy blasts at the stationary Captain. Tarō, without moving even a single step in any direction, easily smashed all of the bullets into opaque bits. Then, he rushed forward, outstretching his hands in preparation to strike. Seeing this, Tinieblas assumed a fighting stance. Unexpectedly, a jet black Cero began charging in front of her, and erupted violently as the Captain was approaching her. "Hyaaah!", exclaimed Kinzoku. He had leapt, and utilising the impetus of his fall to bolster the attack, slashed at the shadowy beam of destructive energy with both of his broad blades. The Cero split, blasting the side walls of the throne room. Subsequently, Tarō landed mere metres from the shocked Tinieblas. He plunged at her rapidly, leaving her little time to react. As one of the broadswords fell on her with tremendous speed, she lifted her left hand to block it. The tip of the Zanpakutō sunk into her body and slashed it, nearly cutting off her hand in the process. "You bastard...", she seethed. Another attack followed immediately, but the Arrancar blocked it with her nodachi. Kinzoku once again engaged into the sword dance, pushing his opponent back. However, despite his ferocity and speed, Tinieblas blocked all of the sweeping slashes. Eventually, Tarō cut with both of his blades from the same side, attempting to finally overwhelm her with his strength. The broadswords collided with the ebony nodachi, striking a shower of sparks as a result. Still, Tinieblas had not only resisted the considerable impetus, but even started pushing Kinzoku back. The Captain yielded, but only to gain room for another powerful strike. He slashed rapidly, but the blades cut only air; the Arrancar had vanished with a loud, static sound. Afterward, Tarō turned around quickly. Tinieblas stood a distance away, charging a Cero beam. The Captain acted fast, piercing the floor with one of his broadswords. "Shūdan Kushizashi no Kei!", he declared. The jet black orb dissipated. In the blink of an eye numerous steel spikes, each about three metres tall, erupted from the floor and prompted the Arrancar woman to abort her attack and evade quickly. When the pillars disappeared, she landed heavily on the razed floor and glanced at Captain Kinzoku with inhuman savagery. She touched the bleeding wound on her left forearm. "You're strong, Shinigami, you always were. This is exactly why crushing you will be so damn satisfying!", she screamed zealously. She pointed the hand holding her sword at him, drops of blood falling from her outstretched index finger. Suddenly, the air around her undulated, and a swirling mass of tempestuous, jet black energy started accumulating in front of her. "Now that you've spilt my blood, I'll let you have a taste!", she exclaimed, her eyes glowing madly. " !" The vortex of extremely dense energy erupted from her hand, prompting an airwave which raised dust into the air. Surprised, Captain Kinzoku had only managed to shield himself with his twin broadswords ere the powerful orb hit him. The following explosion eradicated the top of La Aguja Blanca in an instant. Part 2 For a time which seemed an eternity, there was nothing but unlimited darkness. Suddenly, after a period which could be seconds as much as centuries, a single, green light appeared in the vast blackness. Kinzoku plunged at it, reaching toward it with his hands. Then, he opened his eyes. "Captain Kinzoku!", exclaimed a feminine voice with a peculiar mix of glee and anxiety. "Everything is okay, stay calm." Tarō raised rapidly, startling Captain Risa as a result. Afterward, he looked around hastily, but saw only countless white dunes. And the immense tower looming quite a distance away, with a column of smoke emitting from its top. "What... happened?", he asked silently. Suddenly, he spat some blood to the side. Only after that he noticed severe burns on his forearms. His Zanpakutō layed nearby, sealed and with a cracked blade. "You have been hit directly with a powerful technique", explained Sakamoto as she resumed healing him with a Kidō spell. "I have been about to enter the tower when that happened. Fortunately, I have been able to treat you quickly, otherwise your life could be seriously threatened." Kinzoku wagged and groaned, frowning slightly. "Where is... she?" Before Risa could answer him, the two had heard a distinct, static sound. "Are you enjoying yourselves, Shinigami?", asked an intimidating voice. Sakamoto drew her sword and turned around in an instant. Tinieblas was approaching her unhurriedly, slowly raising her hand and pointing her finger at the Captain. Her face was outstretched in a wide grin. Then, she disappeared in a pillar of erupting flames. "Who's that giant lady?" Subsequently, Captain Shōdo stopped nearby, his Zanpakutō released and ready to strike. "She is the enemy leader, Tinieblas", answered Risa. Fudo narrowed his eyes slightly. Then, he stood next to Tarō and assumed a fighting stance. "You okay, Kinzoku-kun?", he asked, observing the raging fire nearby. "I'm alive", responded the other Captain bluntly. "Not for long." Much to the Captains' shock, Tinieblas emerged from the blaze unscathed. Her unmatched eyes glowed brightly; the singed remains of her robe barely covered intimate parts of her sizeable body. Shōdo reacted in an instant, pouncing at her with his sledgehammer raised. "Ryūsei!", he exclaimed. Flames burst forth from the Zanpakutō's exhaust pipe as he struck the enemy. Tinieblas blocked with her black nodachi, holding it one-handed. Even though the attack released a potent shockwave on impact, she did not flinch in the slightest. Surprised, Fudo withdrew his Zanpakutō and slanted to strike again. However, he heard a hissing sound and blood gushed suddenly from his chest. The Captain swayed, and Tinieblas used the opportunity to punch him in the face with great force. Subsequently, he flew a distance away and crushed into a dune. "Captain Shōdo!", shouted Risa. The Arrancar turned to her. Seeing that, Sakamoto pointed her hand at her. "Shakkahō!" A red ball of energy erupted from her hand and rushed toward Tinieblas. Nonetheless, the enemy leader deflected it effortlessly with her left hand; the wound on her forearm had already closed. Suddenly, a jet black orb struck Risa in the chest, squeezing air out of her lungs and repulsing her back. Captain Kinzoku moved violently, but even more blood spilt from his mouth as a result. Waving her sword in a relaxed manner, Tinieblas approached the Captains without a hurry. "Even though my subordinates failed to kill you, at least they managed to wear you down", she said with a chillingly cheerful tone. "You're doomed. How does it feel?" She lifted her sword to attack, and swung it with incredible speed. However, before it could reach the immobilised Captain, it collided with something metallic on its way down. Then, she realised a figure had appeared in front of her in the blink of an eye. "Sorry to interrupt you", said Ikiryō Kuragari, his smirk warped by an expression of substantial effort. "I have a habit of popping-in unannounced." When Tinieblas was about to react appropriately, she noticed several glittering objects rushing toward her face. Utilising , she avoided the attack and observed in shock as multiple fragments of shattered glass passed nearby with tremendous speed. Captain Kuragari stood up and chafed his armoured left hand, wincing. "Thank you, Mewokuramasu-chan, that girl surely packs a punch", he said. The Sixth Division Captain approached him quickly and stopped by him, her gleaming Zanpakutō raised in a two-handed grip. "We finally meet, Tinieblas-san", she began. "You are responsible for numerous atrocities and for breaking the peace of the . However, this all ends now." Ikiryō glanced at her, his eyes widened in astonishment. "Mewokuramasu-chan?", he uttered dully. Haruka ignored him and walked toward the Arrancar. Tinieblas looked at her with a mixture of various emotions, curiosity and anger amongst them. "You'd like to back this up, Captain-chan?", she asked mockingly. "Tenran!", exclaimed Mewokuramasu in response. Taken by surprise, the Arrancar woman was blown away by the sudden release of a pocket tornado. Subsequently, she landed heavily over a dozen metres further and quickly rose to defend from a potential follow-up. However, Haruka had remained stationary. "Bankai!", she shouted whilst she was raising her Zanpakutō. "Kesshō Hahen Kagami!" Spiritual energy started emanating from her frail body, grey and glittering as it enveloped her. All of a sudden, large panes of glass began materialising in the air, one after another, tens, dozens, over a hundred. Arranged in rows, they swiftly surrounded the women, preventing Tinieblas from escaping. "Shingan no Meikyū!", announced Mewokuramasu sternly. Afterward, the panels proceeded to plummet down, embedding themselves firmly in the white sand and constructing four shining walls in a matter of seconds. After establishing a rectangular structure, the remaining panes fell inside consecutively, forming narrow rooms within. As they were assembling, the top rows quickly enclosed the construction by creating a roof. Then, it was over. Captain Kuragari observed the gleaming structure with apparent anxiety; his childhood friend had locked herself with a powerful enemy, alone. Part 3 Tinieblas stood motionless, surrounded by the glittering panels of opaque glass. She looked around cautiously, but saw only her warped reflexions. "What kind of trick is this, Captain-chan?", she asked in a booming voice. She pointed her finger at a gleaming wall and fired a single Bala. Much to her chagrin, though, the attack dispersed violently on impact, damaging her lightly with ricocheting energy. The pane it had hit was not even singed. Enraged, she tried to find a possible exit. She walked into a narrow corridor and followed it for some time, gradually increasing pace as she was becoming even more furious. Suddenly, she entered a relatively spacious room - the same one she had left a minute ago. "What the fuck is this, Shinigami!?", she yelled. "Do you intend to make me die of boredom!?" She stopped, noticing something odd from the corner of her eye. Then, she turned her head and glanced at one of the panes; her reflexion stood straightened up and gazed at her menacingly. "What the...", uttered Tinieblas as she was lifting her sword. In the meantime, the reflexion phased through the panel's surface and landed on the white sand. Then, without a warning, it plunged fiercely at the Arrancar, slashing madly with its ebony nodachi. Tinieblas attempted to block the attack, but her mirror image's blade passed through her Zanpakutō and vanished instantly along with its wielder. Subsequently, another reflexion emerged from a sheet of opaque glass and pounced ferociously at the shocked Arrancar woman. Tinieblas defended herself, but again unnecessarily, because the mirror image disappeared as soon as the blades were to collide. "Hmph! These magic tricks are supposed to scare me?", asked the Arrancar tauntingly. Moments later the third reflexion phased through the glittering surface. Tinieblas faced it with a grin, lowering her sword. Seeing this, the mirror image attacked her at once, swinging its Zanpakutō in a broad horizontal slash. Whilst the blade was quickly approaching her, the Arrancar woman sensed something wrong. Subsequently, she evaded rapidly with Sonído, retreating several metres away from the reflexion. A streak of blood began flowing from a shallow cut on her left breast. Tinieblas moved her sword in-between her and the mirror image, assuming a fighting stance. "How come?", she seethed. "This place is my Bankai", replied the reflexion with a different voice. Suddenly, the image shifted and revealed Captain Mewokuramasu under the guise. "Labirynth of the mind's eye. You are locked in a place which reflects the deepest abyss of your unconsciousness", explained Haruka. Tinieblas rushed at her and cut with her longsword, but the Captain used Shunpo to dodge the attack. Afterward, she jumped back and sank swiftly into one of the glass panels which constituted the structure. "You are trapped, whereas I can move freely", declared an omnipresent voice. All of a sudden, one of the reflexions dashed toward Tinieblas. However, like the first ones, it vanished when its blade was about to strike the Arrancar. "You are not only fighting against me, but against your own id. Surrender, Tinieblas-san. This is a fight you cannot win", said Mewokuramasu in a solemn manner. "Never!", screamed the Arrancar fervently. "So be it." Following that, several reflexions emerged from the glittering walls simultaneously. Astonished, Tinieblas slanted and raised her nodachi in a defensive stance. The mirror images attacked together, prompting her to struggle in attempts to protect herself from phantom slashes which could conceal a deadly strike. Then, her blade met resistance, and sparks were struck on impact as two blades collided. Realising the opportunity, Tinieblas pushed harder and swung her sword at the disguised Captain. "Tatakiwaru!" Unexpectedly, one of the panes shattered and immediately showered the Arrancar with razor-sharp fragments. Even though they broke apart upon hitting her, their force was enough to cause her pain. Meanwhile, Mewokuramasu had hidden in the gleaming wall. Tinieblas rapidly looked around, trying to spot the direction of the impending attack. "Utsusu, Hadō #33, Sōkatsui!", she heard an omnipresent voice. A blast of light blue energy erupted from a sheet of glass and struck her in an instant. When it exploded, the reflective walls redirected the excess of energy back at the Arrancar, aggravating the damage inflicted by the technique. Tinieblas emerged from the smoke, burnt and with her head lowered. Then, she straightened up rapidly, an expression of inhuman wrath distorting her face. "DAMN YOU, SHINIGAMI!", she roared. Subsequently, she swung her Zanpakutō madly. "Plunge down into the spiral of madness, Legión!", she exclaimed furiously. Her nodachi dissipated into a cloud of smoke-like darkness. An aura of tremendous spiritual pressure began emanating from her body, seemingly draining the bright light inside the glass structure with its opaque blackness. The vortex of energy swirled violently around her, drowning her in the darkness. Captain Mewokuramasu was about to learn what distinguished an Arrancar from Hollows and Shinigami alike. Part 4 "Will she be okay?" Whilst Haruka was fighting Tinieblas inside her Bankai's ultimate technique, Captains Kurokawa Tadayoshi and Kaoru Shōki joined the other Shinigami. Using healing Kidō, the two helped the wounded comrades recuperate slightly from exhaustion and the damage they had sustained. "I have no idea, Tadayoshi-san", replied Kuragari grimly. "I have not seen her in such a mood since a very long time." Despite healing Shōdo, the Grand Kidō Chef constantly glanced at the glittering construction nearby. Due to its special properties none of the Captains could sense what was happening inside. "She's in trouble", declared Captain Kinzoku, who still layed on the white sand, resting but vigilant. "That Hollow hag's terrible. She's defeated me with a single Cero." Ikiryō looked at him silently with an arcane face expression. Suddenly, the Shinigami heard a sharp sound. The glass panes started cracking. "This is bad!", commented Captain Shōdo. As the gleaming structure was crumbling and shattering, black Reiatsu began leaking from the fissures. All of the Shinigami present stood up and assumed fighting stances, preparing for the unpredictable. Then, the roof of the construction broke into pieces, and a single silhouette burst forth into the air. Startled, Captain Kuragari vanished instantaneously, and reappered a moment later in the same place, holding Haruka in his hands. "Mewokuramasu-chan?", he asked, widening his eyes slightly. The Sixth Division Captain's haori was torn to pieces, singed and covered with stains of blood. The Captain herself looked no better; she glanced at Ikiryō half-consciously and coughed. "I... couldn't...", she whispered faintly. Kuragari layed her tenderly on the white sand, and Tadayoshi approached them rapidly, activating a healing technique immediately. The rest of the Captains observed as Haruka's Bankai finally shattered to pieces. The glittering shards vanished quickly. Subsequently, a swirling mass of darkness appeared some distance away, difficult to distinguish against the background of 's black sky. However, it was apparent it was moving slowly toward the Shinigami. All of a sudden, they were struck by a powerful gust of wind. Then, they felt the full power of Tinieblas's . Her vast spiritual pressure immersed them instantly in an ocean of blackness and freezing cold. When some of the smoke-like darkness dispersed, the Captains were finally able to discern the Arrancar woman amongst the tempest of shadowy energy. Her body increased substantially and became jet black, bulky and broad-shouldered. Several writhing tentacles protruded from each of her shoulders instead of hands. However, the most significant change occurred to her head. Hanging heavily parallel to the ground, a long, thick neck ended with a large skull-like Hollow mask; two similar bony faces fused with the frontal one were arranged to the opposite sides. Most of the large eye sockets were completely empty, and only one, spiral-like purple eye gazed at the speechless observers. "Game over, Shinigami!", bellowed the monstrosity with a hellish, reverberating voice. Without a warning, the shadowy tentacles extended and reached fervently toward them. Kuragari lifted Mewokuramasu in an instant, and all of the Captains dodged the attack utilising Shunpo. However, after striking the sand with tremendous force, the appendages promptly stretched out even further and grabbed Shōdo and Kinzoku. Subsequently, they crashed both of them into the desert's surface, prompting pillars of white sand to erupt into the air. "Sōkatsui!", exclaimed Kurokawa. He fired a strong blast of blue energy, but Tinieblas merely flapped it with one of her feelers, dissipating it effortlessly. The other tentacles continued to extend and rushed toward the Captains once again. "Bakudō #81, Dankū!" As the nearly transparent shield rose from the sand, the shadowy appendages hit it with sufficient force to shake the ground. The barrier cracked in several places, but withstood the attack. "We must regroup!", shouted Kuragari, still hugging the half-conscious Mewokuramasu. "Stall her for a few moments!" "Understood!", replied Tadayoshi. Whilst the remaining Captains retreated, Kurokawa stood his ground against the insane Arrancar. His Dankū shattered, smashed to pieces by the madly flinging tentacles. Tinieblas was approaching him unhurriedly, her inhuman eye glowing menacingly. The Grand Kidō Chief narrowly evaded her attacks for some time, attempting to lure her away from the two immobilised Captains and the other ones, who were most likely in the process of stabilising Haruka's condition. Subsequently, he halted unexpectedly and raised his hands at the monstrous Arrancar. "Bakudō #61, !" Six triangular arcs of yellow light shot toward her from different directions. However, she simply swung her appendages and swiftly smashed the spell into gleaming bits. "Bakudō #62, !" A barrage of numerous violet rods dashed toward her with considerable speed. Tinieblas caught all of them with her feelers and snapped them like twigs. "Bakudō #63, !" That time, three golden chains of glittering energy erupted from his hand. They had managed to pass by the writhing tentacles and wrap around the Arrancar's bulky body, but she broke the constraints in the blink of an eye. Drops of sweat began flowing on the Captain's forehead. "Bakudō #75, !" Subsequently, five large pillars of chained steel plummeted from the sky and hit Tinieblas with substantial force, raising a cloud of dust as a result. She staggered and swayed under their weight. Just as Kurokawa began preparing to strike, he heard a booming roar. The horrific Arrancar straightened up, causing a shockwave of black Reiatsu emanate from her body violently; the pillars cracked and dispersed instantly. Tadayoshi widened his eyes in disbelief and took a step back. Then, he extended out his arms to the sides and clasped his hands together with the fingers intertwined intricately. An outline of spiritual pressure enveloped his body. "Bakudō #99, !" Afterward, two tapes of spiritual fabric wrapped around Tinieblas's body several times, binding all of her feelers and prompting her to overbalance and fall to the ground. Several X-shaped iron shafts plummeted at the spread out tapes, pinning them to the white sand and binding the struggling Arrancar. Kurokawa breathed heavily and wiped sweat from his forehead. Subsequently, he jumped back a considerable distance and raised his right hand. "Limit of the thousands hands, respectful hands, unable to touch the darkness. Shooting hands unable to reflect the blue sky." Tinieblas roared terribly and wagged with animalistic ferocity. "The road that basks in light, the wind that ignited the embers, time that gathers when both are together, there is no need to be hesitant, obey my orders." A shroud of sand erupted into the air, stirred by the tremendous energy emitting from the Arrancar woman's body. "Light bullets, eight bodies, nine items, book of heaven, diseased treasure, great wheel, grey fortress tower." The ground quaked violently, and the iron shafts started shattering. A shockwave of Reiatsu hit Tadayoshi, but he maintained his focus. Then, ten pink energy points appeared mid-air around him. "Aim far away, scatter brightly and cleanly when fired. Hadō #91, Senjū Kōten Taihō!" Tinieblas tore the Bakudō spell to pieces and rose up rapidly, swinging madly with her numerous tentacles. Subsequently, the ten points burst forward, hitting her similtaneously in an instant. Kurokawa covered himself with an unnamed as the enormous explosion engulfed the enemy with blinding light. Torrential gusts of wind blowed the sand away, digging a giant crater in the desert in a matter of seconds. Panting, the Captain dispelled the shield and examined the extent of destruction he had brought. Immense column of dust and smoke shot toward the air, obscuring his sight. However, he did not need to see to know the fight was not over yet. The cloud dissipated suddenly, revealing a wave of jet black energy rushing toward Tadayoshi, eradicating the dunes in its path. Just as he slanted in preparation to dodge, something grasped him by the waist and grabbed away with tremendous speed. The wide beam of black energy continued, carving a massive ditch in the desert's surface. "Excellent job, Tadayoshi-san", said Kuragari with a faint smirk. "For a while I thought you got her." "Well, not that I wasn't trying...", began Kurokawa. Unexpectedly, they heard a loud, hissing sound. The two Captains ducked rapidly, avoiding a thick tentacle swinging right above them. "But... she should've been at least heavily damaged!", protested Kurokawa with a look of disbelief. "How come can she counter-attack so fast!?" "This is insane", murmured Ikiryō sternly. Then, they spotted the tentacled abomination emerging from the shroud of white dust. Her barely material, jet black body seemed unharmed, but several small cracks appeared on her mask. Nevertheless, the amount of energy emanating from her body did not augur well for the Shinigami officers. Kuragari stepped forward and clasped his armoured hands. Subsequently, a fusiform dragon of torrential water struck the Arrancar from the side, surprising both her and the Second Division Captain. "Risa-san!", he exclaimed. The liquid serpent retreated swiftly and proceeded to bombard the enemy with multiple bullets of highly pressurised water. Suddenly, a single feeler emerged from under the barrage and swung broadly, beheading the dragon in the blink of an eye. Sakamoto attempted to reform him, but several tentacles whipped his liquid body, dissipating it into the air. One of the appendages slashed at her, but she dodged with Shunpo. However, as she reappeared mid-air, another one struck her unexpectedly from the side, launching her a long distance away, crashing into a dune. "Son of a bitch!", shouted Ikiryō. As if hearing him, Tinieblas turned around quickly and flinged her tentacles, preparing to attack. Part 5 "Die!", she howled. Then, as she swung the right set of tentacles, there was a hissing sound, and all of them suddenly detached from her body. When they hit the ground, they faded away into nothing. The Arrancar wailed and turned around to face the perpetrator. "What's this? You wanna steal all the fun!?", screamed Kenpachi Kuufuku fervently. He slashed at her madly, but she blocked his attack with the remaining feelers. When the blade of his Zanpakutō sunk into the shadowy matter, Tinieblas shoved him away violently and retreated. Subsequently, new appendages began sprouting from the split stump on her right shoulder. "Bring it on!", exclaimed Kenpachi, grinning. "Do you have any plan, Ikiryō-san?", asked Tadayoshi unexpectedly. Kuragari was observing the duel attentively, his eyes narrowed slightly. "If I could hit her with my ultimate technique", he said. "I suppose she would not be able to regenerate from that. However, I need a good opening." Meanwhile, Kuufuku was exchanging countless blows with the monstrous Arrancar, standing his ground against the onslaught of whipping tentacles. The Captain cut madly, utilising his Bankai's power well, but Tinieblas was relentless; she was very slowly pushing him back. "She broke easily out of my chant-less Bakudō spells", said Kurokawa whilst he started making some arcane gestures. "Kenpachi should be able to provide us with some time to prepare, though." All of a sudden, the Arrancar woman withdrew her writhing appendages and pointed their tips at the Eleventh Division Captain. Afterward, jet black energy crackled and emitted a distinct, multiplied sound as a barrage of Balas ruthlessly bombarded the Kenpachi. He flew into the air and crashed into a nearby dune, motionless. Tinieblas bent her thick neck; her purple eye glowed menacingly. "I'm coooming!", she roared in a horrific, mocking tone. Kuragari lifted his hands in a fighting stance, while Tadayoshi drew and released his Zanpakutō silently. In the meantime, the Arrancar aimed all of her feelers at a focal point in front of her skull-like mask. Orbs of shadowy energy proceed to charge at their tips. Then, she opened her maw and a large ball materialised opposite to it. Subsequently, all of the smaller spheres were sucked in by the one in the centre, greatly increasing its size. The immense, wave-like Cero burst forth in an instant. "Dankū!" The Bakudō barrier rose quickly to block the attack, but perished under its enormous power in an equally short time. The Captains jumped back utilising Shunpo, but were caught in the attack nonetheless. The tempestuous blast drowned them in the raging blackness and blew them away like a torrential gust of wind. Some time later, they landed heavily on the white sand, smoke raising from her singed bodies. After several seconds, they both twitched and attempted to stand up, with mixed results. "She... is a monster...", commented Ikiryō. "She's coming", warned him Tadayoshi, brushing off his sleeves. "Do you want some more, Shinigami!?", bellowed Tinieblas as she was unhurriedly approaching them. "Here, have as much as you like!" Subsequently, she halted and bent her tentacles inward, charging another powerful Cero. Then, unexpectedly, another set of elongated appendages erupted from the white sand and wrapped around her, dispelling her technique and constraining her. When the Arrancar roared and began struggling, a large, beaked head emerged from behind her, toxic gas emanating from its opened maw. "Captain Shōki", said Kuragari with a faint smirk. "Tadayoshi-san!" "Yes!", replied Kurokawa, clasping his hands and beginning an incantation. Kaoru's summon wailed all of a sudden - Tinieblas jerked with her feelers, plucked it out of the ground and tossed its massive body like a ragdoll. When the giant creature crashed into a dune with a great tremor, its body dissipitated into a cloud of gaseous spiritual power. Captain Shōki cursed, but Kuragari and Tadayoshi did not hear her clearly. Then, she used Shunpo to narrowly evade a swinging tentacle of tangible darkness. Before another one could strike her from a side, the Captains had heard two familiar voices. "Rendaken!" "Kanzan-dan!" Subsequently, a volley of sharp wedges and a volcanic bomb-like projectile hit the Arrancar from two different directions, stunning her for a moment. "Bakudō #90, Tekase!", exclaimed Kurokawa, launching the spell from his Shikai. Tinieblas swung frantically with her tentacles. Suddenly, two bright red halves of a large holdfast materialised in the air, promptly closing her in-between. Afterward, multiple chains attached to each of them struck their spiked ends into the sand, anchoring the binding spell to the ground. "Bankai, Sonzai no Yūgure!", declared Kuragari sternly. Then, he emerged from a tempest of indigo-black Reiatsu clad in an ebony armour with silver ornaments, a vast and torn cape fluttering behind him. "Konzetsu!" Several bolts of black lightning appeared above him, and then a rapidly expanding hole in the reality started opening with a piercing screech. The circle of murky energy grew to a considerable size. Subsequently, it emitted a loud, high-pitched sound, and dust around Ikiryō rose up quickly, stirred by a potent shockwave. Tinieblas wagged ferociously, but the binding spell withstood her tremendous strength, albeit barely. The air around her undulated visibly. All of a sudden, there was a loud thump, and the Arrancar became blurred noticeably for a split second. Her shadowy body was instantaneously lacerated in countless places, causing a number of murky bits raise freely into the air. "Haah!", exclaimed Kuragari. With his hands united at the tips of the fingers, aiming at the target between his fingers and his thumbs, he fired his ultimate technique once again. The ground quaked violently, and the Arrancar woman howled. The Makase spell cracked, and her body began losing integrity, dispersing slowly into a cloud of smoke-like darkness. "Haaah!" Tinieblas virtually exploded - the Bakudō spell disappeared, and her body dissipated rapidly in all directions. A terrific, reverberating wail echoed throughout the endless desert as her existence ended in an instant. "You did it, Ikiryō-san!", exclaimed Tadayoshi, looking at his comrade with a tired smile. Kuragari's Bankai vanished immediately. The Captain fell to his knees and barely supported himself with his hands, his Zanpakutō and its sheath laying on the ground next to him. He was breathing heavily, streaks of sweat flowing from his face and dropping on the white sand below. "I have... never fired... more than two...", he wheezed. "I cannot... move...", he added with a faint chuckle. Kurokawa's smile widened. Then, he noticed the other Captains approaching them slowly. Even Haruka Mewokuramasu was amongst them, walking in a tottering manner, supporting herself on Captain Risa's shoulder. "The fight is over thanks to our collective efforts", she announced feebly when the Captains gathered. "We have won." Subsequently, the Shinigami smiled faintly, even Captain Kinzoku joining them in the silent celebration. Even though singed, covered in blood and shaking, they were victorious. Part 6 The Dark War was over. The Hollows who had invaded the were soundly defeated, but not without dealing considerable damage beforehand: approximately 250 Shinigami were killed during the chaotic battle within the capital of the Soul Society. There were some seated officers amongst the casualties, Lieutenant Hibiki Sasuyōna being the highest ranked one killed in action. Whereas the victory could not be celebrated without a faint sense of bitterness, the sacrifices were not made in vain - the enemy had been repelled, and the innocent Souls saved. On the other hand, even though the elite task force sent to Hueco Mundo struggled greatly to accomplish their goal, their mission was deemed an absolute success. With the leadership of the Hollow army utterly destroyed the threat was ended immediately, and the Captains were officially lauded for their efforts and vital contribution to the decisive Shinigami victory. Peace was restored to the Soul Society and a period of serenity began anew. However, it was not bound to last forever. End of Chapter Category:Fanfiction